The Ghost of Memories Past
by Honey Monster
Summary: Abandoned in the woods of Twilight Town, Ghost's memory is a blank. All she has left is the sword strapped to her hip and the perseverance in her heart to carry on, and discover everything she used to be.
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer:

I **do not** own _Kingdom Hearts_, the _Final Fantasy_ series, anything belonging to _Disney/Square Enix_ or anything/anyone pertaining to the aforementioned series or companies. (No matter how much I wish I did – because, come on… how rich would I be then!)  
>I <strong>do<strong>, however, own any characters not related to the real series. (Such as Ghost, etc.) They are mine, do not steal. 3

Now that's done, on with the story! Please enjoy and if you leave a review I will love you forever and ever!


	2. Awakening

_**Hi there!**_

_This is my first story on FanFiction... and I'm not even sure whether I will be continuing it or not. I wrote this a while ago, but I'm posting it to get ideas. I will most likely write a few extra chapters as well, but I'd really like reviews on if you think it's good enough! Thank you so very very much! ;)_

_Lots of love from  
><strong>Nai x <strong>_

* * *

><p>A gentle breeze brushed over the cloaked lump on the forest floor, ruffling the material slightly but leaving the thing itself undisturbed. The leaves above rustled noisily as the wind rattled their branches, waking them from their stiff sleep. The wood was already quietly alive with the sounds of animals - birds calling softly, squirrels scurrying up and down tree trunks, rabbits cautiously leaving their burrows in the undergrowth. It was a relaxing soundtrack for a previously unconscious body to wake up to.<p>

The cloak stirred and suddenly lifted, before gravity exerted its force and the cloth fell down to the figure's lap.

The pastel peach irises disappeared briefly as the girl blinked, rubbing her eyelids tiredly and brushing her unusual stark white hair from her face. She paused as she finished, taking a few moments to let her surroundings sink in, before she pushed herself to her feet.

The cloak that appeared to be covering her was not actually a cloak at all, but a rich brown cape that hung down her bare back, secured to the large bronze shoulder guard that sat proudly on her left shoulder. She wore little more than a cropped dark brown leather bralet on her torso, accompanied by a pair of frayed light denim shorts and knee-high brown leather boots paired with grey thigh-high socks. Her hair was cut with a box fringe; the rest of her colourless locks fell in large messy curls to her derrière.

What really stood out, though, was the large bronze scabbard that hung on her hip, adorned with beautiful embroidery of light blue forget-me-nots the whole length.

_Where... am I?_ She thought hazily, her brain slow to process the situation she was in. She noticed, however, that she was situated next to an intimidating grey concrete wall - a wall that held a rather large hole in the bottom, big enough for a person to climb through.

Deciding to explore the strange area, she made her way over and slipped through the hole, ending up straight in the centre of a small town. A tram ambled past her, rattling along the differently paved path it was fixed to following. Other than that, the town was quiet - very few people were gathered at the small number of shops, from what she could see, and most of them were grown adults buying groceries and other helpful items. It was a relatively slow-moving place, almost as if the buildings themselves were tired of watching their inhabitants live day after day after day, rarely seeing any excitement. In fact, it didn't even look like there was anyone under the age of thirty in the plaza.

However, soon after thinking that, she located a young triplet of people sitting atop a pile of boxes in the corner of the common, and made her way over to them before her conscience was fully functional.

"Excuse me..." she began, pausing for the teenagers to stop their conversation. "Could you tell me the name of this town please?"

A small brunette with striking green eyes caught her glance and smiled warily. "You're in Twilight Town, on Tram Common..."

"Oh," she replied, forgetting to mask the uncertain disappointment in her voice. "I don't remember a 'Twilight Town'. But, um, thank you."

The boy sitting on the tallest box stopped eating his neon blue popsicle to give the girl a suspicious look. "You don't _look_ like you're from around here. What's your name then?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm-" The girl went to answer, but she fell short; the words froze in her throat and she was unable to speak. What _was_ her name? Why was it so out of her grasp? "I... I... I'd be lying if I said I could remember," she stuttered eventually, taken aback at the discovery. "But... Just call me Ghost," Ghost finished, picking a name from her subconscious.

"Huh. Ghost," the blonde boy repeated, trying it out on his tongue. "Nice choice. I'm Hayner."

"Olette," the brunette spoke up with a friendly smile.

There was a flash of light from the side, and the newly named Ghost turned to find herself looking into the dark lens of a camera before it was replaced by a cheerful face. "And I'm Pence," the boy grinned, his hair held with a sweatband so it splayed out on top of his head.

"Nice to meet you," Ghost smiled gently, as the cogs in her mind finally began to slowly turn once more.

"So, what brings you to Twilight Town when you don't even know the name?" Hayner asked, finishing the last bit of ice cream clinging to the stick.

"Ah, well, I er... Just woke up in the woods a few minutes ago..." she trailed off, looking away as she nervously scratched her head, grinning. "Come to think of it, I don't remember anything before that. It just... Stops."

"Seriously?" Pence asked, his camera poised to snap a photograph at any given moment.

She nodded once, her left hand curling cautiously and absent mindedly around the simple steel hilt of her sword. The three teenagers followed her arm as it moved, their eyes widening as the realised what she wore on her hip.

"A sword..." Hayner paused, as if he was going to finish his sentence, but made no move to do so.

Ghost smiled understandingly at him and drew the blade, holding it on her palms so they could see. The sun glinted on the well polished metal; the reflections of the teens could clearly be seen. It was a long, thin blade that tapered to a diagonal slanting point, with hairs breadth veins of a strange black material depicting flowers that matched those on the scabbard.

"Pretty cool," he said, smirking. "But do you have the skills?" He slid off the box he sat on and pulled out two electric blue clubs seemingly from nowhere. They had violent yellow hilts and seemed like they were made from some kind of plastic foam – either way, they were quite squashy and probably wouldn't cause any serious injury unless the wielder had murderous intent.

Olette looked at him, ready to chide him for saying something so ridiculous, but Ghost carefully sheathed the sword and took the club from his hands, taking a good few steps back before crouching in a ready position. "You're on."

Hayner smirked and got ready himself, as Olette sighed; mumbling something about idiots.

Pence grinned and readied his camera. "Alright, on the count of three! First one to disarm the opponent wins!" He smirked, holding up his hand with three fingers showing.

"1!" One finger dropped.

"2!" The next followed.

"3!" His hand went quickly to his camera, snapping a photograph as the opponents jumped towards each other.

Ghost smiled and ducked as Hayner went to make the first attack, going for his legs to trip him over. He stopped himself quickly and the club flew in front of his shins, missing by an inch as he brought his own club down on her head. She quickly blocked and flipped herself onto one hand, locking her knee as she swung her leg down fiercely.

Hayner fell back and the kick hit the floor, the white-haired swordswoman using the momentum to push forward and attack in a series of flurrying blows. Dull thudssignalled each time he blocked; quiet grunts each time she hit.

Eventually, though, her swing was just a little too fast for him – and the club flew straight past his guard into the side of his head, smashing him in the cheek.

"Crap!"

Ghost pulled back quickly, her face shocked. "Oh, fuck, sorry!" She swore quickly – before her hand shot up to cover her mouth, blushing at her language. "Ah, um, sorry…!"

Hayner blinked, shaking his head in a daze. "Damn, what have you been doing?" He chuckled. "That swing probably had enough force to knock someone's head off!"

She grinned, her face flushing in embarrassment. "I…I guess I don't know my own strengths," she replied, punctuating her sentence with a nervous laugh.

"Got that right," he mumbled, rubbing his face gently.

Olette rolled her eyes in good nature, smiling at the slightly bewildered teenage knight. "So, where do plan on going from here? We can take you to Central Station, if you want. You can get a train from there."

Ghost sighed as Hayner took the bat back from her, stowing them both away – where, she had no idea. It was like magic, the way he pulled them from thin air. "Yeah… that would probably help," she said, returning the smile gratefully, thanking all higher powers imaginable that she'd been presented with the opportunity to meet such nice people. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Their feet clacked, tapped and thudded in their respective footwear against the regular lines of stone paving as they approached the huge train station. Ghost couldn't help as her eyes raked the intimidating clock tower that sat above the station bearing the name of the town. It was just too extravagant for a place so out-of-the-way.<p>

"You like?" Pence smirked, his camera flashing at her amazed expression.

She didn't answer, but nudged him with a sharp and well trained elbow. He winced outside of her vision, rubbing the spot on his stomach better.

"So, this is the station," Olette began, her smile looking rather forced. "It's a shame we have to part so soon, though. You seem like a good person…"

Ghost giggled to herself, surprising the others by giving her a small hug. "Don't worry. I couldn't possibly forget you guys – you're my first memory, after all; no matter how short the memory might be."

Olette laughed, nodding, while the boys simply shook their heads at the sappiness. "So, do you have enough money for the train?" She asked.

Ghost paused.

The brunette rolled her eyes and handed her some money, rolling her eyes. "You owe me when we next meet. I don't know why I'm being so gracious to a complete stranger."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate the help… thank you, again, a thousand times over."

Hayner shook his head. "Just go, already! You'll miss your train!" He said, giving her a small push towards the large glass doors.

She nodded, laughing, and began to walk through the large glass doors of the station. "See you next time! Thank you so very very much!"

"Hurry up and leave!"


	3. The Start of the Path

_**Hello again!**_

_Okay, so second chapter up. It's a start!  
>Last chapter I asked for anyones thoughts on this story, but no one reviewed... so I'm going to shamelessly ask again! If I don't know what's wrong with this, I can't make it better, #yougetmeblud? (Also, this is like 1000 more words than last chapter, and the longest chapter I've ever written in a day. [I usually get bored...] So yay me!) :D<br>Updates for this story will come at least once a week if I can help it, and possibly more depending on how busy I am. Once I get back to school after the holidays, though... we shall see. :)_

_Lots of love from  
><strong>Nai x<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><em>__The first thing she thought as she stepped into the station was that it was unusually quiet.

A train, vivid purple in colour and decorated in burnt orange stars, sat stationary on the track; its doors open to invite passengers in. Ghost scrutinized it for a moment, before deciding it was safe and turning to walk to the ticket booth.

"Uh, one ticket to… wherever, please," she asked uncertainly, dropping the money on the counter.

_No reply._

The silence dragged on as she stared into the empty office behind the grate. From what she could see, there was no-one in sight in the whole area. It was like a ghost town, and Ghost herself briefly wondered whether the whole population of Twilight Town had been that what was gathered in Tram Common ten minutes prior.

Quickly realising it was useless, she gathered up the 900 Munny Olette had given her and slid it into the pocket of her shorts, pushing away from the counter and stumbling forward a little. Her quiet footsteps echoed in the silence, reverberating off the red brick walls and concrete floor. It was only then she realised the situation she was in.

She was alone. Physically _and_ mentally. Not only was she in a town she'd never heard of, with people she'd never met; but she couldn't remember her name, her age, her home, her friends… if she ever _had_ any. What about family? Where were they? Did they miss her? Were they looking for her? What did she do before she forgot?

She nibbled her lip nervously and folded her arms across her chest, fingernails scratching at her biceps. What was she actually going to do when she got on the train? For one thing, she had no idea where it would take her – there were no signs or people around to say. In fact, she was even starting to wonder whether the train actually had a driver or not. She couldn't really tell.

After a few more minutes of worried nibbling, she eventually left her lip alone – now slightly swollen and bleeding a bit from her violent biting – before walking slowly towards the obnoxious train and stepping cautiously inside.

Without warning, the doors slammed closed, and the train wasted no time in sounding its whistle as it pulled away from the platform.

* * *

><p>"<em>Have you found her yet?"<em>

_Two figures stood idly in a corridor of darkness, the strange purplish black clouds rippling and billowing around them. For now, there were no Heartless or Nobodies in sight to destroy their rare peace – something _both_ men were grateful for. Usually moments like that were hard to come by and often were short-lived as well._

"…_I _found_ her, Boss, but…" the smaller brunette trailed off slightly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. His hair viciously defied gravity in an Aiden-Grimshaw-esque side swept quiff, hair falling to cover his sparkling sapphire eyes._

"_But? I have no time for 'buts', kid. Listen, I need to find her fast. Otherwise a hell of a lot of people are probably gonna die. And that won't make 'em happy. Got it memorized?" The boss replied, his face masked by a large black hood._

"_Y-Yes sir!"_

"… _So, what's wrong then?" _

_His question went unanswered for the moment as the dark brown haired boy turned back to the translucent rectangle seemingly hanging in midair in front of him. It flickered every so often as the image changed._

"_Well, she just disappeared."_

* * *

><p>The scenery had rushed by the windows in a blur of sunset and foliage, so much so that it took a while for Ghost to notice it had actually merged into that of an endless dark green. The dull <em>chug<em> of the train was muffled inside the cabin – which was ultimately just as gaudy as the out. It was the same intense purple and amber used on the exterior decoration, except with added scarlet and grey for decoration. The brightness was just about burning her retinas.

She sighed a little, glancing down at her palms. Thin, almost invisible lines criss-crossed the clear skin, following each crease where she clenched her fist. Despite their unmistakeable femininity from the delicate fingers to the ivory tone, they were undoubtedly a soldiers hands – the skin around the bottom of her palm and around her fingers was calloused and rough from gripping the hilt of her sword, not to mention the fact she had needle like scars threading throughout her complexion. And one rather obvious scar defacing the skin visible on the thigh.

She was damaged goods – she didn't need a memory to realise that.

Eventually, however, she surfaced from her metaphorical pond of self pity as she felt the train begin to drop in speed, before eventually coming to a complete stop and opening its doors. There were no noises indicating their arrival, but there was no one else on the train. She figured it was more of a one-stop ride.

Swallowing her growing fear, she pushed herself from the padded seats and stepped out onto the luscious emerald grass, noticing almost at once how the sky was a deep navy blue colour, scattered with flickering stars. She scanned her immediate area; small floating island covered in grass and bushes, a few discarded chests and a lone banana brick tower that stood as the tallest thing on the terra. Well – if you could even call it a terra. It didn't seem big enough t be registered on a map.

Before she had time to turn back around, though, the train had vanished; leaving no sign of a vehicle ever being there. Not even train tracks. Ghost frowned to herself and rested a hand on her sword apprehensively.

"Well… onwards and upwards, I suppose," she said – her optimistic side kicking in.

Keeping a firm grip on the hilt of her blade, she slowly edged towards the tower. There didn't appear to be any sign of life what-so-ever in the grounds before it, so she ascended the short set of steps leading up to the wooden front doors with a star and a moon stuck to them, she pushed them open and went inside without further thought.

The décor inside was a pale orange to match the white staircase that wound around the outside of the room. Another chest lay at the foot of the stairs, beside a greenish-grey column that stood strong in the center of the room. Ghost made her way over to it, drawing her sword and tapping the lid of the chest suspiciously before jumping back as an Ether sprang out.

"…What the…?"

She shook her head as she picked it up, stowing it away for later. Looking up at the twisting staircase, she scratched the back of her head lightly, sighing tiredly as she started to walk up them, into the rippling green portal that floated at the top.

* * *

><p>Flashing silver ripped quickly through the small bodies of darkness, as Ghost sliced the last dark entity that stood in her way. She moved forward tentatively, her sword raised in front of her torso, left hand clenched by her side. The quiet shuffle from her boots on the staircase was barely audible as she approached the orange door before her, a large yellow triangle surrounded by swirls for its design.<p>

Making her way to the top of the tower hadn't been as easy as she expected, what with little purplish black bug-like things and weird grey monsters blocking her path. She'd also gotten sick of the sight of three things; stars, moons, and stairs. Whatever architect designed this place must have been suicidal by the end of it, as climbing the stairs was tiring enough, not to mention _building_ them since they were mostly suspended in midair.

That was another thing Ghost wasn't keen on. You could actually _smell_ the magic clouding the air. It was thick and really had no particular odour, but it was clearly there. It unnerved her to no end, not knowing what her strange enemies were capable of. Who was to say the owner of this tower was even a good guy?

Inching forward, she stopped a few centimetres short of the door, pressing her ear to the brightly coloured wood. She took a deep breath, controlling her intake of air and calming her thudding heartbeat.

"…man, really? We barely got back from our last mission…"

"…apologies…"

"At least we're together again…"

"…to put up with Sora for another year."

"Hey!"

The voices inside the room suddenly burst into laughter as someone whined slightly. Ghost frowned, squeezing the hilt of her sword in her hand before slowly opening the door.

The laughter inside stopped almost immediately as she entered the relatively small room. From what she could see, there were two people, a duck and an anthropomorphic dog (AN: Pshh yeah I Googled it). It was silent for a few moments as they simply stared at each other, no-one quite knowing what to say to the unexpected arrival.

"Uh… hi," the boy in the middle finally broke the silence. His caramel hair was beyond spiky, going off in every direction possible; his eyes were a startling electric blue.

"…Good afternoon," Ghost replied, sheathing her sword quickly before anyone got the wrong idea. "Um…"

"Sora, could you please move out of the way?" A deep, gruff voice from behind the collection of human and animals asked. The boy, Sora, looked over his shoulder and started to say something before thinking better of it and moving.

An old man with a long grey beard and a stern expression sat behind the desk, sporting a vivid blue robe and pointy hat with various stars and moons on. His fingers were intertwined with each other as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the desktop; his bushy grey eyebrows slanted over his eyes. "You need not tell me why you are here, young one. I have been waiting to meet you ever since I heard from… well, ever since I heard of your existence." The man paused here, as if considering something, before continuing. "What is your name?"

Ghost swallowed, trying to resist the urge to start chewing her bruising lip again. "Ghost, sir. But, I was wondering-"

"-where you are?" The man interrupted, as Ghost nodded. "Hm. This is my home… the Mysterious Tower. It would appear you arrived by train from Twilight Town, much like these three did the first time they visited." He gestured to Sora and the two animals, who grinned at her. "My name is Yen Sid, the former Master of His Majesty King Mickey – although, I'm sure that title will be of no importance to you who has lost your memories."

Ghost flinched. "How do you-"

"That is irrelevant."

Her eyes narrowed as he interrupted her again. "Not to me, sir. For a girl who has no memory of what she used to be, every bit of information I can get my hands on is completely relevant."

Yen Sid studied her for a moment, his eyes resting on the determined gaze locked in her eyes. "The Pastel Guardian," he mused to himself. "I will explain all to you when the time comes. For now, though, I must withhold information for fear of what may happen."

_Pastel Guardian? What? _"But-"

"Sora," Yen Sid interrupted a third time, and Ghost resorted to glowering silently as he addressed the gathering in front of him, "Donald, Goofy. The time has come to embark on this new mission. I only wish I held more knowledge to give you. Ghost will accompany you… look after her." He paused, gesturing towards the door on the other side of the room, and continued in an almost jokey tone. "You know the protocol. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather will suit you up in new clothes before you leave. I wish you all the best on your journey."

And with that said, he disappeared in a cloud of glitter.

The two teenagers stared at the spot the old wizard had sat for a few moments, before turning to look at each other awkwardly. Sora grinned and put his hands behind his head, laughing slightly. "Welcome aboard, I guess. I'm Sora."

"Donald!" The duck quacked, waving around a staff with a book stuck to the top.

"Hyuk, and I'm Goofy, pleased ta meet ya!" The dog took off his hat in greeting before replacing it on his head.

Ghost bowed her head, placing one leg in front of the other as she curtseyed politely. "I am Ghost."

The group collectively turned their heads towards the door Yen Sid had pointed out, and following Sora's lead, they entered quickly. Three fairies were stood patiently in front of them – Ghost guessed they were Flora, Fauna and Merryweather – dressed in red, green and blue respectively.

"Why, dears, if it isn't Sora, Donald and Goofy! Oh, and who's this? A new friend?" The fairy in red asked, fluttering around the group with her sisters.

"Ghost." Ghost was getting bored of introducing herself.

"Ah, I see," she chuckled nervously, taken aback at the bluntness of her reply. She studied the teenagers for a few moments, exchanging glances with her sisters as they discussed colours and designs.

Ghost took the time to glance idly around the room. It was littered with mirrors in every direction, along with pale yellow cloths to cover some of them and a few familiar looking treasure chests. A small table with a high backed chair stood in the center of the room, made of plain brown wood.

She didn't notice anything moving until there was a bright flash of light – and when she looked, Sora's outfit had completely changed.

In place of his previous baggy parachute pants, he had on a pair of charcoal jeans with a small silver crown on the belt buckle that hugged the toned muscles in his legs, paired with shoes of the same colour that were relatively smaller in size than his last ones. On his torso he wore a loose navy t-shirt with a crisp white dress shirt left open over the top, sleeves rolled up messily to his elbows. He had kept the silver crown necklace around his neck, but a chain had been added to his jeans, hooking on belt loops so it hung around his side.

He glanced over himself a few times in the mirror, his eyebrows raised at the skinny jeans and white shirt. "…Really?"

Fauna giggled from next to Flora. "Well dear, you _are_ sixteen now, aren't you? A perfectly handsome young man who needs clothes to match."

Sora's face began to burn and he looked away from the group, blushing furiously.

Merryweather caught Ghost's smirk and giggled with her sister. "And you're not off the hook either, dear. Come along now, dears!"

She froze as all three fairies turned towards her and raised their wands. There was no time to run as she was hit with the blinding magic and lifted into the air while she felt the material surrounding her body ripple and move around.

When it died down, she landed heavily on her feet, accompanied by a sharp _clack_. The fairies looked pleased with themselves, as they pushed her towards a mirror so she could see her new clothes.

Her old battle-worn boots had been replaced by lighter brown, lace-up boots that left the front of her shins slightly exposed. Her shorts had been swapped for a pale khaki mini skirt with slits up the side – though the three old fairies had helped keep her dignity intact by giving her light grey bicycle shorts as well. She also no longer felt the cool air of the tower on her stomach any more, but rather on her back – as instead of her bralet she now wore an off-white sleeveless and backless button up shirt, secured with a brown belt under the bust that matched her shoes. A small bronze plate that opened out into a circular shield was secured to her left arm; and her scabbard complete with sword still rested dutifully on her left hip. She also noticed her bangs had been chopped at and styled so they swept to the right, her hair pulled up into a long ponytail that hung slightly to the left.

"Wonderful!" Flora exclaimed, clapping to applaud her work. "I think they both look astounding. Good work, dears!"

"You're free to leave, now," Merryweather smiled, nodding. "Good luck on your mission. I hope you're every bit as successful as before!"

Sora grinned, reaching to put his hands behind his head again. The blush on his cheeks had died down, and his embarrassment had been pushed aside. "Thanks. I guess we'd better be going now – after all, the worlds need their hero!"

"_Heroes!_" Donald corrected, whacking him on the shin as they left the room. Ghost smiled to herself, hearing the fairies giggle behind them.

"So," Sora began, after rubbing his leg better. "Are you ready for an adventure, Ghost?"

She looked up – her pale peach irises catching his sapphires – and grinned at him, brief excitement flashing in her eyes before it was masked again.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Sora."


	4. Destination Destiny Islands

**_Hiyaaa!_**

_So, yay, third chapter! It's not as long as last one, but I felt it didn't need to go on and on...  
>I sketched what I think Ghost looks like, and it turned out okay for a first sketch (except the feet... feet will forever be my greatest nemesis). When I can be bothered I will post it up, if you'd like. :)<br>I also don't think I'll be updating as often in these two weeks, as I've just thought I have two pieces of science coursework to finish, some music coursework, geography exam practice questions to do, writing for Art case studies and three A3 paintings for my final piece... all of which I think are due in around after Easter-ish. (I think we can have as long as we like on the final piece, actually...)  
>Anywho, on with the story!<em>

_Lots of love  
><strong>Nai x<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><em>She lay back on the bed in her room, freshly showered and redressed in her brand new clothes. Her boots stood on the floor besides her as she relaxed, keeping her eyes firmly closed. The noise of the engine was muffled through the thick yellow and red walls of the Gummi Ship, but every so often the whole thing jolted suddenly as Donald tried his best to manoeuvre around the onslaught of Heartless.

The three travellers had told Ghost to jump through the large crescent shaped window in the Mysterious Tower, failing at first to explain that they had a ship hovering beneath ready and waiting to catch them. Reluctantly, she had jumped – landing in the cockpit of what she was told to be the Gummi Ship.

The interior of the contraption was much _much_ bigger than the out, and Ghost suspected a few tricky bits of magic were to blame. It had two bedrooms – each with two small beds, a few chests of drawers and a desk bearing notepads and drawing paper alike; probably for Sora to pass time with while travelling between worlds. There was a sitting room and a kitchen area, with a breakfast bar that doubled as a dining table as well. And last, but most _definitely_ not least, a large sparkling bathroom which Ghost had claimed the minute she entered.

After she'd washed and Donald had set course for Destiny Islands (here Sora blushed and mumbled something about saying goodbye properly), the trio minus aforementioned duck had sat her down in the sitting room and began to explain their long and winding tale – from the storm of Heartless that started it all to what the Heartless actually were, and from that to the Organisation XIII and an in-depth explanation of Nobodies and the workings of the heart. Listening to it all, Ghost couldn't help but feel pity for the happy-go-lucky brunette. So much had been taken from him, and yet his laugh was as hearty as ever.

She briefly wondered if she'd ever laugh as freely as that again.

With a sigh, she pushed herself from the pillows just as the door opened, and Sora walked in with a towel draped over his head, flattening his gravity-defying haircut. He gave her a friendly grin before throwing himself onto the bed next to her.

"I think we're moving this bed into Donald and Goofy's room… y'know… 'Cause you're a girl."

She raised an eyebrow. "How observant."

He rolled his eyes and began drying his hair roughly, standing up so he could move freely. She watched him in silence, cracking a smile as the ship shook again and he almost lost his balance, banging his toe against the desk.

"DONALD!"

"Sor-_ry_!"

She let out a small giggle, receiving a sharp glare in return. "Shut up."

"Sorry."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No," she replied sarcastically, sliding off the bed and slipping her boots on. She grabbed the scabbard and shield from the desk and belted them on, before leaving Sora to do whatever. Making a quick pit-stop at the fridge for a chocolate bar, she went on to the cockpit, quietly edging inside so as not to disturb.

"Finally!" Donald quacked, leaning back in his seat with an 'aww yeah' kind of expression as the ship began to drift down towards an island.

"Hyuk, we're here! Better tell Sora."

"Tell Sora what?" Sora asked, walking bluntly into the room with slightly damp hair.

"It would appear we have arrived," Ghost said after swallowing a piece of chocolate.

No one could really help grinning back at the expression on Sora's face as he jumped gleefully and went to disembark – until he stopped himself, looking at the food in the female's hand. "…Where did you get that?"

She took a moment before answering. "… The fridge."

"THAT'S MINE!"

* * *

><p>Ghost walked slowly behind the rest of the group eating Sora's chocolate, as he marched ahead of them with a defeated look marring his face. She watched the shore casually; the tranquil, rippling waves that rolled a short way up the white sand before retreating back to the aquamarine ocean. Pretty pink and purple shells lay scattered occasionally among the driftwood, left behind by the waxing and waning tide. It was a peaceful place to stroll; and from what she'd heard off Sora, this wasn't even the main island.<p>

"Sora…?"

Ghost paused to turn around in the direction the voice came from. A girl no younger than herself stood awkwardly where they'd just walked, her dark pink hair falling in gentle waves to mid-back. She wore a pair of pale blue denim shorts much like the ones Ghost owned previously, with a white lace smock top secured under her bust. She carried some white slip-on plimsolls in her hand by her side, while the other was clenched in front of her chest.

Ghost looked back at the brunette, but he was facing the other way. "Um… Sora…"

"What is it now? You finished my choc-oh." He grinned, the smile almost reaching his ears. "Kairi!"

"Sora!" The pinkette shrieked, dropping her shoes on the sand and jumping into his arms, legs wrapped securely around his waist. "What were you thinking, you idiot! Riku and I _knew _you were leaving, but without saying goodbye first! And in the middle of the night!"

"Hey, hey!" He chuckled, trying to prise her off. "I was kidnapped by those two – don't blame me!" He pointed in the general direction of his animal comrades (who had begun whistling innocently), as Ghost stepped backwards, turning towards the horizon again. Her mind drifted off into rambling thought as she purposefully ignored the reunion going on behind her; deliberately overlooked the small ache her chest felt. Theoretically speaking, if she had had friends before, would _she_ ever get a reunion with them? The more she unwillingly thought about it, however, the more she began to feel like she didn't really want one at all. It would hurt their feelings if they found out she had no idea who they were. She was starting to get quite annoyed at this whole lack of memory thing.

Suddenly, she felt something whack her bare shoulder – and she looked to find a warm hand, which lead up to a smirking face half-concealed beneath shining silver hair.

"So who's this then, Sora? Found a new girl to woo?" He joked, spinning the white haired girl around so everyone could look at her. She felt her cheeks slightly burn at the attention, and tried to seem indifferent about it.

"Oh shut it, Riku. That's just Ghost – Yen Sid asked me to look after her."

Ghost looked at the sand, which suddenly became a lot more interesting. …_**Just**__ Ghost? __**Look after**__ her? Thanks a lot Sora, make me look like some weak, helpless little weirdo who can't go to the bathroom without assistance._

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ghost," the pinkette grinned, holding a hand out in greeting. "I'm Kairi."

Gulping down her brief irritation, she returned the gesture, pulling away quickly after. "Yeah… ditto."

"Don't talk much, do you?" The taller boy mused. "I'm Riku. Nice name, by the way."

"…Thanks."

"SO," Sora cut in, grinning. "Are you guys coming with?"

Kairi and Riku shared a look. "We… don't think so, Sora. Sorry," Kairi answered gently, adding a quick apology on the end.

Sora looked a little taken aback, but nodded nonetheless, smiling sadly. "Guess I can't change your minds, then. Ah, well." He chuckled at his obvious disappointment. "I suppose I'll see you soon, then?"

"Aren't you staying a while?" She asked hopefully, picking her shows back off the sand. Riku walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. She visibly drooped, before looking back at Sora's sad smile. "Well, then…" she began. "Don't lose my lucky charm. _Be sure to bring it back to me!_"

Sora laughed at some hidden joke laced within her words, nodding. "I wouldn't dare do anything else."

He turned towards where Ghost had edged over to Donald and Goofy, now standing beside them watching the scene awkwardly. "We going?"

Donald nodded and began to lead them back to the ship as everyone followed, Sora looking back over his shoulder as he walked.

"Don't die!" Riku called, waving cheerily. "We have complete faith in you, Mr. Keyblade Master!"

"Come home soon!" Kairi shouted, jumping up and down as she waved with him.

Sora laughed at his best friends, nodding as he reached the rope ladder stemming from the side of the Gummi Ship. "Will do! It won't take long for me to get rid of this new threat – I mean; I _did_ defeat Maleficent _and _Organisation XIII."

"Ahem! _We_ helped!" Donald called angrily from beside Goofy, who laughed good-heartedly. They were already in the ship, and they moved into the cockpit to start the engine as Sora climbed aboard and pulled in the ladder.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Bye!" The two teenagers on the beach yelled, flailing their arms frantically and Sora copied them. "Stay safe!"

"Remember your promise!" Kairi called, smiling softly at him.

His face exploded into colour and he nodded quickly. "See ya!" He shouted back, his eyes watering as he left his best friends behind for the third time.

And all throughout, Ghost watched him with jealous eyes from the corner of the room.

* * *

><p>"<em>Any sign of her?"<em>

"_N-no, not yet, sir."_

_The man growled, and the smaller brunette gulped as he felt hot flames dance at his back. His fingers worked quicker on the translucent rectangle, and he could tell it wouldn't be long before the blisters came._

Stupid Eon and your stupid pushoverness, stupid, stupid, stupid.

"_What about the others?"_

_Eon frowned to himself as he brought up a new window on the rectangle – this time showing the flickering image of a young blonde sitting atop a roof, her face showing her boredom plain as day. "Only those who we already knew about. There's been no change, Boss."_

_The boss sighed; reaching up into his hood to massage his closed eyes, soothing the throbbing that he knew was the start of a stress-related headache._

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the blonde from the image stretched lazily, cracking her joints to get rid of the stiff ache that resided there. Her steely blue irises disappeared as she fluttered her eyelids in the dying sunlight, resting back on her palms to bask in the slowly dissipating golden rays.<p>

She had lost count of the hours that dragged by as she watched the town below her bustle noisily. People watching was one of her favourite pastimes – she always used to sit on top of inn where she stayed and overlook the market place as it began to quiet down. She found that sunset was the best time to see interesting characters; those who liked to avoid rowdy crowds, those who were busy all day, and those who were lazy. Many more, as well. Dawn and dusk were her favourite times.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Her eyelids fluttered tiredly as she watched.

_I want to go home._


	5. The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee

**_Oh God how long has it been..._**

_I'm extreeeemely sorry for no updates, but I have a valid reason! Basically, my computer broke, and then I got my brothers laptop...but then that broke too. And no other computers in my hosue have Microsoft Word so I was pretty much stranded. I couldn't do my coursework for school either... but now my computer is fixed and I am back! Weee! Enjoy!_

_Lots of love from  
><strong>Nai x <strong>_

* * *

><p><em>The vinyl crackled as it spun on the gramophone, the label turning around and around, again and again. Soft piano drifted out from the brass horn that curled from the side of the mahogany box, as the two figures moved clumsily in the centre of the chequered dance floor.<em>

_A little girl giggled, her feet clad in patent cream leather plimsolls and small white socks as she stood atop her partners feet, hands clasped around his scarred fingers as he span her in obscured circles. The rose pink skirt of her button up dress billowed with the movement and she held upon her face a bright smile, her unusual eyes sparkling as she laughed freely._

_The man smiled down upon the young blunette, his eyes wavering at her innocent happiness._

#

The bedroom was quiet and still as morning light filtered through the gap in the thin curtains, the rest of the room bathed in a reddish glow. Faint voices could easily be heard from the kitchen beyond as a group sat down to breakfast, leaving the girl in the bed to lie sleeping comfortably amongst the thick vermillion blankets.

A soft double-knock on the door disturbed her light sleep slightly and she snuggled deeper into the blankets, her eyes closed and mouth slightly parted. Probably after realising he was getting no answer, Sora pushed open the bedroom door and looked upon the sleeping girl in amusement, still dressed in the black boxer shorts and white t-shirt that made up his pyjamas.

"Ghost, wake up – we're going into Radiant Garden before we leave."

The girl barely stirred, except to sigh quietly and turn over so her face was concealed. Sora rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, walking over to kneel on the side of the bed as he held himself over her curled up body.

"Helloooo? Ghost?" He asked, grabbing the top of her arm and shaking her roughly. Her skin was burning under his touch from the heat of the covers, and he couldn't really ignore the fact that she was actually incredibly soft. He was interrupted in his thoughts, however, when she groaned into her pillow and stretched out, arching her back in the air like a cat and coming dangerously close to Sora before he jumped back slightly. Her eyelids fluttered to reveal her drowsy peach irises, and she brushed her fringe up off her forehead, blinking.

"Go away," she said simply.

He flashed a crooked grin at her and pushed off the bed, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of bed so she stumbled on the cool floor in her bare feet.

Before he even had time to process where exactly she'd gotten it from, he was distracted by the silky nightdress wrapped around her small curves; the dark grey material resting neatly on her slender hips and loosely draping against the top of her thighs before it stopped a good few inches above her knee. It was decorated with an edging of black lace around the hem and bust line, with a small black bow in the center of her chest and black spaghetti straps. Sora really couldn't help being a typical teenage boy – his face had turned pink and he was staring religiously at her body until her hand came in abrupt contact with his face.

"Pervert. Go away!" She growled, dragging him to the door and practically kicking him out before slamming it behind him. She sighed to herself and crossed her arms across her small chest self consciously, before getting dressed in her new clothes.

Sora, meanwhile, was picking himself up off the floor, cradling his stinging cheek as he stumbled into the kitchen, where Donald and Goofy were polishing off a plate of pancakes. He dived for the freezer and popped a few ice cubes out before wrapping them in kitchen roll and holding them to his cheek.

"What did you do?" Donald sighed, hopping off the stool as Goofy took the plate to the sink.

"Nothing! But I really don't think Ghost is a morning person," he mumbled, wincing. "She _slapped_ me and it'll probably still bruise."

Donald shook his head before he waddled off to the bedroom to change. Goofy shrugged but chuckled at his pathetic expression, following his little duck friend.

Sora pouted to himself and sat down at the breakfast bar, pulling his plate of pancakes back over to finish them off. He whimpered every time he moved his jaw a little too much and stretched the red skin, but still managed to wolf down his food in record time. Grinning mentally at this feat, he turned to jump off the seat and get changed – but Ghost was stood in his way, her expression guarded, her hair every bit as unruly as it was that morning.

"Hey, Toast," Sora greeted civilly, keeping the ice to his face.

Her gaze was stuck on the damp kitchen roll he held against his cheek. "It was only a slap," she drawled, overlooking his terrible rhyming nickname. "Can't have hurt that much."

Sora raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Have you _been_ on the receiving end of your slaps?" He asked her, having to look down a bit into her face. She squirmed and shook her head, looking at the floor.

"No… I'm sorry, really. I got a bit carried away," she mumbled. "Guess it's just a reflex."

The brunette looked at her quietly as she fidgeted nervously under his gaze. It was only then he realised how much he'd grown – physically _and _mentally, of course. Over the months he'd been back home on the Destiny Islands, he'd seemingly shot up a good few inches in height; so much so that he now rivalled Riku and Kairi seemed like a midget, only reaching his shoulders.

He noticed, however, that Ghost was quite a bit taller than his childhood friend – her pale eyes were level with his nose, but her body didn't seem as developed as the pinkette – rather, she looked a lot more childish. But it suited her, in a strange way. He felt he had to protect this little girl standing before him – and without realising, he had reached up to ruffle her messy white bed hair with an unrestrained smile, reminding himself of whenever Riku used to do that to him.

"Chin up, Toast. All is forgiven."

Ghost smiled at him and rolled her eyes, bumping his arm with her fist. "You deserved that mega slap anyway. _Just_ Ghost? _Look after_ her? What was that Mr. Smooth? 'Cause I'm thinking you were trying to show off a bit to your little girlfriend."

Sora turned bright red at this and pushed her away, scoffing as he went to go back to his room to change. "Please. You _do_ need looking after; you're just a little kid."

"Ahem, I'm sixteen, thank you very much!" She shouted happily before she paused suddenly, her face slightly drooping after saying so. "Uh, well, at least I think so… it feels right saying it…"

Sora shook his head at her with a sad smile and ruffled her hair again before disappearing behind his bedroom door, leaving Ghost to frown to herself in the vivid yellow corridor of the Gummi Ship.

#

"Gosh, sure has changed around here since last time. Leon must have been busy!" Sora smiled happily, glancing at the buildings that now looked much sturdier than they used to, the streets adorned with flower boxes hanging on the walls and small water features. A new layer of paint had been given to things that needed it, metal pipes replaced with shiny new ones that blended with the stone.

Ghost had never laid eyes on it before, so she could only follow and wonder what they were talking about. Still, she marvelled in the city's intricate design, taking a distinct shine to the miniature waterfalls that tumbled from the brick walls.

"Leon _and_ the rest of the committee. I feel bad for not being here…" Donald grumbled, pulling out a long forgotten Honorary Member card from his Court Magician's jacket. Sora noticed and checked his pockets frantically, his spirits dampening.

"…It must have been in the other clothes. Flora will have it now," he groaned, folding his arms across his chest. Goofy patted him awkwardly on the back and moved to lead the group forward, until a small but rather cute house came into view, a girl with long brown hair tied in a braid working in the garden outside.

Sora couldn't remember this being here.

"Is that…"

"Aerith!" Goofy cheered, jogging forward as the other two musketeers followed. Ghost was slightly delayed in her reaction, ambling behind them looking slightly alienated.

Aerith looked up from her flowers into Sora's eyes, her mouth dropping when she saw him before blossoming into a smile. "Sora! Donald, Goofy! You came back to visit!"

"Hey, didn't we say we would?" Sora grinned waving sheepishly.

Aerith chuckled, nodding. "Hey, guess who's here! Come outside!"

Ghost watched with interest as a few heads popped around the side of the door, their expressions flicking between shock and happiness as they ran out to see him. Well… the girl did. The two men simply nodded in greeting before following the black-haired ninja like female.

"Sora! Glad to see ya remember us, huh?" The girl joked, slapping him on the back forcefully.

"Yuffie, give the guy a break…" the brunette man sighed at her, holding his forehead.

"Oh hush up Leon you spoilsport. Sora doesn't mind if I'm rough with him, does he?" She nudged the now crimson Sora, who was old enough now to understand the ulterior meaning behind that sentence. He gulped and shook his head, the rest of the group smirking at him.

The chattering began to develop into excited story sharing right there in the garden, as Ghost fidgeted silently, her fingertips stroking the skin on her opposite elbow. Her eyes were downcast to the small cobblestone path that led up through the garden to the house, lashes fluttering as she blinked.

Another awkward introduction was heading her way, she could feel it.

"You're looking a little left out."

She looked to her left, eyes widening as she saw one of the men standing beside her. He had blonde hair that fell in all directions and the prettiest powder blue eyes she'd ever seen – but also… he possibly had the clearest most blemish-free skin ever too. She frowned, envious, but nodded nonetheless.

"Not a fan of these social things, huh… me either," he sighed. "I'm Cloud. Cloud Strife…" he trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

She shrugged and looked away again. "Ghost."

"Ghost," he repeated, nodding. "Nice to meet you."

"New kid, huh?" The energetic girl piped up, jumping towards the two. "Well, I'm Yuffie! Welcome to the family, Ghost!" She grinned, pinching Ghost's cheek.

The white-haired girl blinked and pushed her hand away awkwardly, her smile resembling a desperately concealed grimace. Leon chuckled and shook his head.

"You never learn …"

"It's ok," Ghost mumbled, trying to smile again and succeeding this time. Yuffie nodded, satisfied.

"See, Squall? A little bit of happiness can go a long way!"

Aerith looked at the group with an eyebrow slightly arched, as she pushed them towards the house. "Why don't we all go inside for a cup of tea…"

A unanimous 'yes' meant the group trudged inside and into Aerith's living room, seating themselves in the squashy cream sofas as they continued their quiet conversations. Aerith disappeared with Cloud, and the two returned shortly after bearing trays of teacups as they handed them out. A blonde, middle-aged man walked in and sat down on the floor against Leon's chair, opposite Sora.

"Pleasure to see you again, kid," he smirked, lighting a cigarette.

"Hey, I'm not a kid anymore!"

The man ignored him and continued smoking. "Uh huh. Anyway, let's get down to business. What're ya here for? It can't be just a visit – I know you too well."

Sora sighed and looked into his teacup, nodding. Ghost perked up in her chair, sipping her drink with alert eyes as Sora readied his story. Even _she_ hadn't heard this yet, and she was travelling with them.

"Well… the King sent a letter explaining that Yen Sid had a new mission for me, and not long after _that _Donald and Goofy kidnapped me and took me to his home." Here he paused and glared at the two animals, who smirked. "Apparently, there's a new organisation on the rise. The problem is, they don't know what it's for or what exactly it's doing – only that ever since they became slightly known, Nobodies and Heartless have been popping back up again every now and then in the worlds. The group's name is Soul… we can't really tell anything from it, though.

"However… Yen Sid did mention one man. The leader, apparently. He has grey hair and blue eyes, but we don't know his name. All I know is that I have to find some people to help go against him."

The blonde man nodded in understanding, dragging on his cigarette before blowing the smoke out. "So who are these people? Anyone specific?"

Sora shrugged. "I dunno. He said something about Ghost being one of them, though."

The girl in question felt the entire room's eyes land on her, and she turned bright red, trying to hide behind her teacup.

_I'm… someone he was looking for? I don't understand, I don't know anything… what the hell is he going out about…_

"U-Um… I don't really know why you'd be looking for me," she mumbled, looking up at Sora through her bangs. He sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't know anything unless you got your memory back."

"So what are we gonna do?" Goofy spoke up, asking the question everyone was thinking. Most people shrugged, including Sora, but the blonde middle-aged man shook his head.

"Well, we can start by fixing up that ship of yours so it can travel further. I came across some new parts while we've been busy fixing up the city, so you can have 'em… as long as that ship stays in one piece. Ya hear me?" He asked sternly, his eyes narrowing at the travelling group. All four of them felt compelled to sit up straight and nod violently. "Alright… it'll take a few days. In the meantime, enjoy the new Radiant Garden."

"Thanks Cid," Sora grinned up at him.

Cid stood up and walked to the door frame, turning his head back to smirk at Sora as his cigarette hung from his lips. His eyes flashed, his smile was threateningly happy.

"No problem. But you've been warned – one scratch on that pretty yellow hull and you're _dead meat_."


	6. Exploration

_**OH GOD.**_

_It has been such a long time. I swear, I am the worst at updating things. /shotshotshot_  
><em>Anyway, I have a few chapters written, and I hope to God I can continue to write. So much school and social life, hehe. And I'm still not entirely sure where this is going, I do have part of an idea though. Anyway, one with the story!<em>

_Lots of love from_  
><em><strong>Nai x<strong> _

* * *

><p>The dorms of Kingdom Key Boarding Arts School were cosy and simplistic, perfect for a short stay or a term-long residence. The rooms were painted in neutral colours – crème walls and light brown wooden flooring – with matching furniture and bedding, a long chest of drawers and a desk stocked with academic necessities. To Ghost, it was a luxury, having woken up on a forest floor with no previous memory of any past residences.<p>

Aerith had gotten the group settled in the dormitory of the nearby boarding school, since there was currently no room at anyone else's house. They had settled in quite well, and were expecting to be there for a few days at least while Cid touched up the Gummi Ship.

Only problem was, Ghost was at a loss what to do with this new found time. Sora and company had disappeared into the city, leaving her behind to sleep – until she had woken up to find herself lonely in their corridor, sitting in her room by herself looking out of the window.

The view from the bedroom window wasn't all that special, just an average scene of an empty courtyard with a few trees. The cobblestone that built up the small water fountain in the centre was mossy, with a small clean indent surrounded by ivy that seemed like it was meant for sitting. On the ground underneath the fountain was a circular mosaic, filled with a large golden key design and a crown behind it. Those shapes were familiar – they were everywhere in the dorms. The curtains and bedding even had small key designs printed into them in shadowy shades, and each door had a key carved into it with a number on the head.

The key had stuck in Ghost's mind though, something in the furthest reaches of her memory stirring at the image. She knew about Sora's 'Keyblade', but so far she hadn't seen it – there were no 'Heartless' or 'Nobodies' around to kill.

Deciding to take her mind of it, she returned to the trees outside. She had been eyeing up one certain tree for a few minutes now and she quickly strapped her weapon on her hip before climbing onto the white windowsill, leaning forward before pushing herself off with a powerful leap and landing gracefully on a thick tree branch a metre or so from the building, swinging down with one hand to touch down on soft grass before casually strolling away.

It wasn't long before she was outside of the school's grounds, walking aimlessly around backstreets while she tried to find the market place. She wished she had her old shorts, so she could at least put her hands in her pockets, but instead her fingers stroked the hilt of her sword anxiously as she searched, unnerving passers by an she found herself going past the same street sign at least three times.

Groaning, she looked around, heading in a different direction before appearing in a rundown street, children playing on the road with a battered football as gangs of teenagers sat smoking in huddles on a broken wall. In this part of the city, the brickwork wasn't as polished yet, nor were they at all clean or new. Smoke billowed into the air from an open trash fire built with unwanted household items that two women sat beside, open bottles of whiskey clutched in their hands as they laughed their husky smoker's laughs.

Ghost gulped, her grip on her sword tightening as she travelled further. This couldn't be the right way to go, at _all_, but she couldn't stop being curious and exploring further. It was such a drop in standards from the street a good few metres behind – people there could probably go about their daily business overlooking the run down homes without a second thought. Besides, if she turned back, she'd be stuck right where she got lost in the first place.

She felt herself being watched as she walked cautiously, the residents staring her down with cold eyes. She could tell they thought she was an outsider here. More so than she was anywhere else. But strangely, she felt at home, despite the glares she was receiving from each and every one of them.

"Oi, you, princess! What you doin' round here 'ey? Shouldn' you be out there dancin' wi' the rich folk?"

Ghost turned sharply, her sword drawn as quick as a flash to be held right in front of a man's nose.

"Woah, woah, how about you put that knife away 'ey? I mean no 'arm of course, jus' wonderin' why an 'igher up is wonderin' round this here slum!"

Ghost narrowed her eyes, lowering her sword arm before completely sheathing her blade. "I'm watching you, so don't bother doing anything funny. I can run you through faster than you can blink."

The man shook his head and placed a hand over his heart in a vow of sorts, before relaxing in front of her. He would have been fairly attractive, had he been able to take a regular bath – his blonde hair was unruly and dark with grease, while his odd lavender eyes twinkled despite his poverty. "I'd be worried about yourself, princess – I can think of many men round 'ere who wouldn' mind a piece o' you, if ya know what I mean."

She grimaced, her eyes examining a group of old men lurking by a corner with disgust.

The man noticed her look, and jumped. "Oh, no no, don't get me wrong princess – we're not all like that. Jus' 'cause we don' live in fancy houses like the rest of you doesn' mean we're all scum."

She raised her eyebrow uncertainly at him. He smirked and shook his head.

"Never mind – it'll take a good convincin' I can tell. Anyway, I'm Jones – that's my last name. I'm pretty well known 'round these parts… stick wi' me an' you'll be safe an' sound." He paused a bit, taking in her appearance. "In my opinion, you look a lil' lost… stumbled across us by accident, right? Well, no worries, I can show you out!"

He didn't really leave her much choice as he pulled her away, so she nodded reluctantly.

#

Meanwhile, a small blonde slid down the roof of a house and flipped neatly into the street below, ruffling her hair back into place as she continued walking down past the market stalls. Her delicate hands slipped into the pockets of her shorts after she adjusted the closed quiver strapped to her back, whistling to herself.

She walked silently down the path, brushing past bust market goers and peddlers. Townspeople bustled along carrying their brown paper bags of food for their family, as children played catch with the apples from the fruit stand. The blonde smiled warmly at them but moved on quickly, slowing down upon approaching the balcony that overlooked the town center, the large waterfall in the middle showering playing families below.

She edged over, her fingertips stroking the cool brick under her hands, her steel blue eyes half-lidded in thought. A small, barely visible frown fell on her lips, as she leaned forward to rest on her elbows, staring off into the horizon while she spaced out.

"You look lively, Parse."

The blonde had a mini heart attack and jumped, wheeling around to face the newcomer. "Hope! That was mean!"

The silver haired boy smiled and prodded her with the end of his boomerang weapon before setting it in the holster on his back. "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

She pouted and elbowed him sharply in the side. "I'll get you back for that. I promise."

He paled. Parse's 'get-you-back's were often painful and involved some form of violence. "…Right!" He managed to say nervously. The blonde just smiled sweetly and turned back to the landscape.

"Y'know… I really miss our home. Radiant Garden really has nothing on it – I mean, it has the same kind of spread… with the bazaar and markets and inn's and everything… but, just not the same feel."

Hope nodded and leaned against the balcony with her, his sea foam eyes raking the view. "I know what you mean."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, something that was unusual around the excitable Parse. Being the youngest in the group, the two had taken it upon themselves to befriend each other, but their personalities usually couldn't be more different. And yet here they were, sharing a moment that someone would have mocked them for if they had been there.

Finally Hope stirred, standing up to stretch his back. "This isn't the first time I've lost my home. Though, admittedly, the first time it wasn't taken by Heartless… I used to live in a place called Cocoon with my Mom and Dad, but… my Mom died. I don't really remember how I managed to get off that world, but I can remember faces."

Parse looked at him sadly and placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly while he gave a reassuring smile back. The fourteen year old had been through more than she could understand and yet now he was smiling, happy in the arms of his newfound 'family'.

And when she blinked, she saw the familiar blue haired girl in his place, eyes glowing softly before they disappeared as suddenly as they came.

#

Finally, after what _seemed_ like hours of walking, Ghost and Jones emerged on a busy street in the middle of Radiant Garden, having to stand to the side of the road to avoid bumping into hurried strangers. Jones had his hands deep in the pockets of his ragged jeans, a cheery smile on his face as he nodded 'hi' to people rushing past. Ghost stood beside him, watching him tiredly with a hand still resting on her sword.

_I should probably get back to the dorm… _she thought, looking around to see if she recognised anything in her surrounding area.

"We're on the main street, just leadin' up to the bazaar that a few travellers set up a couple o' weeks ago. It's still pretty popular, since they're sellin' all sorts o' stuff you don't usually get 'round 'ere. They're closin' up soon though; it's why everyone's hurryin' to get there," Jones said, noticing her searching. "Where d'ya need to be?"

"The Kingdom Key dorms… do you know where they are?"

He pouted his lips in thought, scanning the horizon for a sign of some sort. "I know the general direction. There's a short cut not too far away – ya gotta run through a warehouse ta get to it. Shouldn' be a problem, though – as far as I know it's still in use for storin' things so there'll be people working there. Ya jus' gotta ask 'em politely with that cutesy voice of yours if you can go through."

Ghost looked sceptical, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

He saw her look and laughed. "Don' worry! You'll get home safe an' sound. C'mon, I'll walk ya there a bit. Then I gotta get back t' my family."

Ghost's ears perked up at the mention as they walked. "You have family?"

Jones grinned, his eyes glazing as he thought. "Yessir. Two beautiful daughters, both blondes, both lavender eyes – jus' like me! They're twins ya see. My wife an' I couldn' be happier t' have 'em. Of course, then there was the arguments that come naturally wi' marriage, y'know? My wife couldn' get out quick enough I should think. Stupid woman. Didn' know what she had."

Ghost was silent, feeling a little awkward. But she was curious – no one else ever talked about their family. "So… are your daughters with you?"

Jones hesitated, the dreamy expression gone and replaced with crestfallen. The white haired girl beside him was about to apologise when he answered. "… No. Truthfully, they're on another world somewhere. Our 'ome was destroyed by the 'eartless, so I don' know where they ended up. I can only hope they're safe… but I'm tryin' to find 'em, I am. It's why I gotta leave ya."

Ghost nodded, and Jones smiled thankfully at her, ruffling her hair. "Thanks for listenin', princess. But he's where we split. You make a nice listener, y'know."

She nodded and bowed her head. "Thank you for accompanying me."

He shook his head and began walking away. "Don' worry 'bout it! Maybe I'll see ya 'round sometime, would be nice to chat again. See ya later!"

She replied with a gentle wave and watched him disappear along the road before she turned to the eerie warehouse looming in front of her.

The warehouse certainly didn't look in use – the large, industrial double doors were shut tight and windows boarded up to prevent trespassers. Maybe they just weren't working today, though. People needed a break, after all. And, she could truly see the dorms behind the scruffy building, the top two floors just visible over the wooden warehouse roof.

Swallowing her nagging fear, she walked forward slowly, looking around for an opening either side of the building – but unfortunately the warehouse was located on a terrace, with no space around it to even edge through. The only thing she could do…

Narrowing her eyes, she went up to the outside wall below the window and unsheathed her sword, slipping the blade under the cardboard over the windows and shoving with her palm, chiselling the boards off. Smiling at her handiwork, she put away her blade and jumped to the ledge, swinging herself up and over to land on top of a pile of boxes on the other side.

The warehouse was almost pitch black – or would have been, if not for the hole Ghost had just made in the side. Boxes were stacked in haywire messes across the floor, shrouded in dust from years of no use. Ghost jumped from the pile and landed with a sharp clack, starting to walk slowly up the cluttered aisles. Her pale eyes glanced over worn out flyers littering the cement ground, the noise from her boots echoing around the silent room.

"Nice of you to… drop in."

Ghost froze, her stop dropped, her eyes widened, her heart quickened.

A broad man stood in the shadows in front of her, the dim light casting eerie shadows over his proud smirk and smoky hair.

A sharp screech filled the air as her knees hit the floor, and her world blurred out.

_The vinyl crackled as it spun on the gramophone, the label turning around and around, again and again. Soft piano drifted out from the brass horn that curled from the side of the mahogany box, as the two figures moved clumsily in the centre of the chequered dance floor._

_A little girl giggled, her feet clad in patent cream leather plimsolls and small white socks as she stood atop her partners feet, hands clasped around his scarred fingers as he span her in obscured circles. The rose pink skirt of her button up dress billowed with the movement and she held upon her face a bright smile, her unusual eyes sparkling as she laughed freely._

_The man smiled down upon the young blunette, his eyes wavering at her innocent happiness._


End file.
